Constraints on galaxy evolution through gravitational lensing statistics

Abstract

Explaining the formation and evolution of galaxies is one of the most challenging problems in observational cosmology. Many observations suggest that galaxies we see today could have evolved from the merging of smaller subsystems. Evolution of galaxies tells us how the mass or number density of the lens varies with cosmic time. Merging between the galaxies and the infall of surrounding mass into galaxies are two possible processes that can change the comoving number density of galaxies and/or their mass. We consider five different evolutionary models of galaxies. These models are: Non-evolutionary model, Guiderdoni and Volmerange model, fast merging, slow merging and mass accretion model. We study the gravitational lens image separation distribution function for these models of evolving galaxies. A comparison with data for lensed quasars taken from the HST snapshot survey rules out the fast merging model completely as this model produces a large number of small-separation lenses. It is possible that the mass accretion model and the non-evolutionary model of galaxies may be able to explain the small angle separations.